t; you were too
small! If you only knew how pretty you were at the age of four months!
Tiny feet that people came even from Epernay, which is seven leagues
away, to see! We shall have a field, a house. I will put you to sleep in
my bed. My God! my God! who would believe this? I have my daughter!"

"Oh, my mother!" said the young girl, at length finding strength to
speak in her emotion, "the gypsy woman told me so. There was a good
gypsy of our band who died last year, and who always cared for me like
a nurse. It was she who placed this little bag about my neck. She always
said to me: 'Little one, guard this jewel well! 'Tis a treasure. It will
cause thee to find thy mother once again. Thou wearest thy mother about
thy neck.'--The gypsy predicted it!"

The sacked nun again pressed her daughter in her arms.

"Come, let me kiss you! You say that prettily. When we are in the
country, we will place these little shoes on an infant Jesus in the
church. We certainly owe that to the good, holy Virgin. What a pretty
voice you have! When you spoke to me just now, it was music! Ah! my Lord
God! I have found my child again! But is this story credible? Nothing
will kill one--or I should have died of joy."

And then she began to clap her hands again and to laugh and to cry out:
"We are going to be so happy!"

At that moment, the cell resounded with the clang of arms and a
galloping of horses which seemed to be coming from the Pont Notre-Dame,
amid advancing farther and farther along the quay. The gypsy threw
herself with anguish into the arms of the sacked nun.

"Save me! save me! mother! they are coming!"

"Oh, heaven! what are you saying? I had forgotten! They are in pursuit
of you! What have you done?"

"I know not," replied the unhappy child; "but I am condemned to die."

"To die!" said Gudule, staggering as though struck by lightning; "to
die!" she repeated slowly, gazing at her daughter with staring eyes.

"Yes, mother," replied the frightened young girl, "they want to kill me.
They are coming to seize me. That gallows is for me! Save me! save me!
They are coming! Save me!"

The recluse remained for several moments motionless and petrified, then
she moved her head in sign of doubt, and suddenly giving vent to a burst
of laughter, but with that terrible laugh which had come back to her,--

"Ho! ho! no! 'tis a dream of which you are telling me. Ah, yes! I lost
her, that lasted fifteen years, and then I found her again